PHYSICAL EXERCISE VIDEO GAME METHOD AND APPARATUS

• US 20090221338A1
• Filed: 03/02/2009
• Published: 09/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/29/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: HopeLab Foundation, Inc.
• Original Assignee: HopeLab Foundation, Inc.
• Inventors: Patel, Rajiv Kantilal, Stewart, Benjamin, Newman, Sven D., Brumback, Christine B., LaPointe, Ellen Louise, Song, Elizabeth Ji-Eun, Tate, Richard L. II, Dillon, Frederick P. IV, Cawley, Daniel E., Wallace, Mark A., Suzuki, Lalita Kikuyo, Guthrie, Nicole Lee, Christen, Patricia L., Ngo, Phong David
• Application Number:
  US12/396,303
• Publication Number:
  US 20090221338A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/7
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/212 using sensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat or leg activity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/214 for locating contacts on a surface, e.g. floor mats or touch pads
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/235 using a wireless connection, e.g. infrared or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/42 by mapping the input signals into game commands, e.g. mapping the displacement of a stylus on a touch screen to the steering angle of a virtual vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/46 Computing the game score
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/54 involving acoustic signals, e.g. for simulating revolutions per minute [RPM] dependent engine sounds in a driving game or reverberation against a virtual wall
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/63 by the player, e.g. authoring using a level editor
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/67 adaptively or by learning from player actions, e.g. skill level adjustment or by storing successful combat sequences for re-use
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1012 involving biosensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat, limb activity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1031 using a wireless connection, e.g. Bluetooth, infrared connections
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/105 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1068 being specially adapted to detect the point of contact of the player on a surface, e.g. floor mat, touch pad
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6018 where the game content is authored by the player, e.g. level editor or by game device at runtime, e.g. level is created from music data on CD
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6027 using adaptive systems learning from user actions, e.g. for skill level adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6045 for mapping control signals received from the input arrangement into game commands
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6081 generating an output signal, e.g. under timing constraints, for spatialization
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/61 Score computation
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8094 Unusual game types, e.g. virtual cooking

Abstract

Described herein is a game and game system including one or more user motion tracking devices. In some embodiments, a heart rate sensor is also used to monitor the user.

Claims

1. A motion-based game comprising:

a controller configured to control a game and to output signals to a video display;

a heart rate sensor responsive to a heart rate of a game user and operably connected to the controller; and

an input device operably connected to the controller;

wherein the controller is configured to cause a series of objects to be displayed on a video display, wherein the input device and controller are configured to allow a user to respond to the objects displayed on the video display by sorting the objects, and wherein the controller is configured to change at least one game parameter based on a heart rate sensed by the heart rate monitor.

2. The game of claim 1 wherein the input device comprises a pressure-sensitive mat.

3. The game of claim 2 wherein the mat comprises a plurality of regions corresponding to groups that the objects can be sorted into.

4. The game of claim 3 wherein the regions are radially spaced around a central portion.

5. The game of claim 4 wherein the regions comprise six hexagons in a ring formation, with each hexagon sharing two common sides with two adjacent hexagons.

6. The game of claim 1 wherein the heart rate sensor is wirelessly connected to the controller.

7. The game of claim 1 wherein the at least one game parameter comprises a quantity of points being awarded to the user.

8. The game of claim 1 wherein the at least one game parameter comprises a rate at which the objects are displayed.

9. The game of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to change the at least one game parameter when the user'"'"'s heart rate rises above a predetermined value.

10. The game of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to change the at least one game parameter when the user'"'"'s heart rate drops below a predetermined value.

11. The game of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to change the at least one game parameter when the user'"'"'s heart rate rises above or drops below an optimal range.

12. The game of claim 1 wherein the objects to be sorted are triangles.

13. The game of claim 12 wherein the controller and input device are configured to allow the triangles to be sorted into a plurality of hexagons.

14. A game comprising:

a controller configured to control a game and to output signals to a video display;

an input device responsive to movements of a user'"'"'s feet;

wherein the controller is configured to cause a series of objects to be displayed on a video display, wherein the input device and controller are configured to allow a user to respond to the objects displayed on the video display by sorting the objects.

15. The game of claim 14 wherein the input device comprises a pressure-sensitive mat.

16. The game of claim 15 wherein the mat comprises a plurality of regions corresponding to groups that the objects can be sorted into.

17. The game of claim 16 wherein the regions are radially spaced around a central portion.

18. The game of claim 17 wherein the regions comprise six hexagons in a ring formation, with each hexagon sharing two common sides with two adjacent hexagons.

19. The game of claim 14 wherein the objects to be sorted are triangles.

20. The game of claim 19 wherein the controller and input device are configured to allow the triangles to be sorted into a plurality of hexagons.

21. A method of operating a game comprising:

displaying on a display screen an object to be sorted;

receiving input from a user input device indicating a position of at least one foot of the user;

sorting the object into one of a plurality of groups based on the input received;

showing the object in its associated group on the display screen; and

repeating the displaying, receiving, sorting, and showing steps a plurality of times.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the method is controlled by a device coupled to a television.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the method is controlled by a personal computer and wherein the user input device is coupled to the computer.

24. The method of claim 21 wherein the input device comprises a pressure-sensitive mat.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the mat comprises a plurality of regions corresponding to the groups that the objects can be sorted into.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the regions are radially spaced around a central portion.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the regions comprise six hexagons in a ring formation, with each hexagon sharing two common sides with two adjacent hexagons.

28. The method of claim 21, further comprising measuring a user'"'"'s heart rate and displaying the heart rate on the display screen.

29. The method of claim 21, further comprising measuring a user'"'"'s heart rate and changing operation of the game based on the measured heart rate.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising calibrating the rate that music is playing with the user'"'"'s heart rate.

31. The method of claim 29 wherein the changing operation comprises awarding a quantity of points to the user based on the measured heart rate.

32. The method of claim 29 wherein the changing operation comprises varying a speed of the game based on the measured heart rate.

33. The method of claim 29 wherein the operation of the game is changed when the user'"'"'s heart rate rises above a predetermined value.

34. The method of claim 29 wherein the operation of the game is changed when the user'"'"'s heart rate drops below a predetermined value.

35. The method of claim 29 wherein the operation of the game is changed when the user'"'"'s heart rate rises above or drops below an optimal range.

36. The method of claim 21 wherein the objects being sorted are triangles.

37. The method of claim 36 wherein the triangles are sorted into a plurality of hexagons.

38. A motion-based game comprising:

a controller configured to control a game and to output signals to a video display;

a heart rate sensor responsive to a heart rate of a game user and operably connected to the controller; and

a user motion tracking device operably connected to the controller, wherein the controller is configured to receive signals from the motion tracking device to create a simulation of the user'"'"'s motion to be displayed on a video display, and wherein the controller is configured to change at least one game parameter based on a heart rate sensed by the heart rate monitor.

39. The game of claim 38 further comprising a pressure-sensitive mat operably connected to the controller, the mat being configured to provide signals to the controller to aid in creating the simulation of the user'"'"'s motion.

40. The game of claim 38 further comprising at least one marker device configured to be worn by the user and to aid the tracking device in tracking the motion of the user.

41. The game of claim 40 wherein the at least one marker device is passive.

42. The game of claim 41 wherein the at least one marker device is selected from the group consisting of a bracelet, an anklet, a necklace, a cap, a belt, a band, reflective tape, and a glove.

43. The game of claim 41 wherein the at least one marker device comprises two gloves, each glove comprising a different color.